Sargent passed on impressive suitors in choosing UVA
BucksLocalSports Editor When you’ve made a name for yourself nationally in high school cross country and track C field circles, coaches come calling from all four corners of the country trying to recruit your services at the collegiate level.
That was the case for mennsbury senior para pargent who had her choice of prestigious universities to pick from including menn, Villanova, deorgetown and ptanford.
In the end, pargent didn’t select any of those schools, opting instead to take her running game to the rniversity of Virginia.
“rVA was always in the back of my Emind) but I never really considered it top of my list until I was going into my senior year,” admitted pargent at a signing ceremony held ceb. T at mHp Television ptudios.
“I really started to get a feel for the program – the coaches, the girls. It has everything to offer and beyond for you to be successful, both academically and athletically.
“Now, that I’m officially a Cavalier, I can’t see myself going anywhere else.”
cour years ago as a freshman, pargent exploded onto the high school running scene, taking first place in the mIAA Class AAA cross country meet.
“Looking back as a freshman, it seems like a thousand years ago and at the same time, it seems like it was just yesterday.”
Battling mononucleosis she didn’t know she had, pargent didn’t do nearly as well her sophomore year but came back with top 1M finishes her last two times around in states, helping the calcons capture three straight team titles in cross country.
pargent says she’s learned everything she needs to know to succeed at the next level right here on Hood Boulevard.
“I’ve really changed and I’ve matured and I’ve grown up and mennsbury has really taught me everything that I need to know to go out into college at the rniversity of Virginia,” she said.
“They’ve really set me up to succeed in life. Looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing; the last four years have been absolutely incredible.”
More recently, pargent has set some major milestones on the indoor track circuit, breaking the alltime record in the 1-mile run with her time of 5WMM.29 at the 2M12 aelaware Valley dirls Track Coaches Association EaVdTCA) Meet of Champions. phe also set a new all-time aVdTCA record last year in the 1,MMM-meter run.
Last spring in outdoor states at phippensburg, after finding herself in fourth place on the final lap of the 1,SMM-meter run, pargent kicked it into high gear and nipped mennridge freshman Marissa pheva E4W51.29), finishing the race in four minutes, 51.M4 seconds.
Even more recently, she turned in a fifth-place finishing competing in the dirls Invitational Mile in this year’s Millrose dames held ceb. 19 at the Armory in New York City.
And on ceb. 24 at the mTcCA Indoor Track C cield Championships, she finished third in the mile while helping her team take second in the 4xUMM-meter relay and third in the 4x4MMmeter relay.
At Virginia, she’s joining one of the best recruiting classes in the country. po says Cavs airector of Track and cieldLCross Country Bryan cetzer. The Virginia coach says his team went out and got itself a proven bunch of winners, adding that the focus was on improving in both distance and sprint events.
“lne thing you will notice about the recruits is they come from high school or club programs that expect success and win championships,” said cetzer. I truly believe that it is important to recruit individuals that know how to win as a team as much as they do individually. The adage `success is